


Echoes

by lucdarling



Series: Ranger Things [1]
Category: Power Rangers (2017), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twins, Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Canonical Child Abuse, Crossover, Gay Billy Hargrove, Jason Lee Scott and Billy Hargrove are twins, M/M, The Upside Down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling
Summary: Neil Hargrove is a distant memory for Jason, overwritten with Sam's gentle patience and his mother's free laughter and sweet Pearl. Neil Hargrove puts a heavy hand on Jason's shoulder the day he buries his family and steers him inside a small house on Cherry Lane in Hawkins, Indiana two days later."This is your new sister, Maxine." Neil introduces a red headed girl. The jut of her chin tells Jason that she and Kimberly would get along just fine. "My wife, Susan."Billy is in the background, propping up the wall. "Hey little brother," he sneers. It's like looking in a fun house mirror.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Jason Lee Scott, Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Ranger Things [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938493
Comments: 36
Kudos: 232





	Echoes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SunScale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunScale/gifts).



> I watched the film last week and then wrote this all in one day. There are only 10 fics tagged in both fandoms! If I got something egregiously wrong in Power Rangers canon, let me know in the comments.
> 
> Timelines? Never heard of them. Title from the song by Furious Monkey House.

Jason comes to Hawkins in the spring. His father, his biological one, flies out to Angel Grove when someone calls him to let him know the news. His lips thin when Jason can't stop tears from falling as he throws one, two, three white roses on coffins.

Jason gives strong hugs to the rest of his team as he packs up his life. He pretends not to see the sheen in Trini's eyes or the way Billy's hands flutter. He holds Zack close and Kimberly closer yet. They've all got phones and they'll figure out the best time to call with the time zones.

Neil Hargrove is a distant memory for Jason, overwritten with Sam's gentle patience and his mother's free laughter and sweet Pearl. Neil Hargrove puts a heavy hand on Jason's shoulder the day he buries his family and steers him inside a small house on Cherry Lane in Hawkins, Indiana two days later.

"This is your new sister, Maxine." Neil introduces a red headed girl. The jut of her chin tells Jason that she and Kimberly would get along just fine. "My wife, Susan."

Jason can tell with a glance that Susan is nothing like his mom. Not his mom after a few years since she ran and took him with her while Billy was at practice. He wonders if his twin brother still plays baseball.

Billy himself is in the background, propping up the wall. "Hey little brother," he sneers. It's like looking in a fun house mirror for Jason. Billy's hair is nearly at his shoulders, curls loose and arranged. On his face is an expression that Jason recognizes when he was angry at the world, before the coin came into his possession.

"You and Jason will share a room. There won't be any problems with that, right?" Neil says evenly. He's staring only at Billy.

"No sir." Billy says. His eyes flick to his father and then go back to glaring into Jason.

"No, I'm sure we'll be fine." Jason grins. Susan tries to smile back, a nervous fleeting thing on her face. Neil steps closer to kiss her, like they're a happy family putting on a greeting card welcome.

It doesn't last any longer than the press of lips. 

Max worms her way out from under her mom's hand and follows Billy into what must be one of their rooms. They shut the door and Jason gets the hint. He goes outside and grabs the duffle bags with his belongings from Neil's truck as Susan disappears into the back of the house with Neil.

Some things, the furniture and larger items, Mrs. Kwan and Mrs. Cranston agreed to hold on to for Jason when he's older.

Jason sets his duffle bag on a twin bed that's been pressed against the wall. The other one looks lived in, even though the sheets are pulled up. Billy comes into the room, pawing through the things on the makeshift vanity. Jason wonders why he doesn't buy a real one; Billy didn't seem the handy or the hipster type with the metal posters tacked up on the walls.

"Did you have a good life, after you left?" Billy's words are quiet. Jason can practically see the anger buzzing beneath his skin.

"You know I didn't have a choice!" Jason responds heatedly. He drops down onto what's now his bed. It squeaks under his weight. "We were seven, you were at practice."

"She took you and ran. I got left behind. How do you think that felt, Jay?" The old nickname is like a stiletto knife in Jason's side.

"What do you want me to do, huh?" Jason pushes himself to his feet, meeting Billy in the middle of the room. "You want me to say I'm sorry? I am, I asked mom about you for almost a year! We were kids!"

"Not a kid anymore, looks like." That's all the warning Jason gets before Billy's fist slams into his stomach. He doubles over, remembers that he should be a normal human and not a protector of the earth. It hurts but more in his heart than his skin.

Jason hits back, pulling his long-lost brother close and taking him to the floor of their shared bedroom. it's almost too small for this fight, the two of them grappling in close quarters.

The bedroom door flies open. They both pause, hands wrapped around each other's upper arms, to look at the interruption.

"Take it outside, boys." is all Neil orders and he walks away.

Billy grins at his little brother, doesn't care that Jason has him pinned to the carpet. "You heard the old man, let's go outside."

"Sure," Jason says carefully. "If you want to lose that badly."

"I don't lose." Billy shoves Jason off of him and climbs to his feet.

They meet again on the grass of the front yard, seeming to agree without words to hits above the belt and not too many face shots. Jason pulls his strength, knows that Billy doesn't have to, doesn’t bother. His brother is strong, for a normal human.

Max is the first to come outside and watch them from the porch, swearing and grunting. Neil follows soon after, arms crossed over his chest. Jason feels like he's being examined, measured. Billy gets wilder, tackles Jason to the ground before his fists are meeting Jason's ribs with none of the restraint that he showed before.

Jason both hears and feels one of them crack and cries out.

"Billy." Max says. She sounds nervous. Jason can't turn his head to look at her, doesn't want to stop watching his brother above him. The sneer Billy wears is a rictus grin and his eyes are wet.

Billy's fist meets Jason's face with a crunch. Blood is spilled.

"Billy!" Max yells his name. She dodges Neil's questing hand that wants to hold her back and runs down the front steps towards them.

"Don't even look at Max. Remember that you're not my brother." Billy says, hunched over Jason's prone form. "My brother is dead."

"I had a sister, too." Jason tells him. He tastes copper when he swallows. "Her name was Pearl."

Billy doesn't say anything in response to that, only turns his head to the side and spits blood right next to Jason. The scar on his neck stretches with the movement and Jason wonders what happened.

"C'mon Billy," Max puts her smaller hand on Billy's shoulder gently. "Let's go for a drive?" It’s a question but also not, since she’s already holding the keys in her hand.

"Yeah," Billy pushes himself to his feet. "Let's get out of here." He stumbles a little on the grass as he walks to his muscle car parked on the street. 

Jason wonders if Billy should really be driving, let alone with a passenger, if he might have a concussion. Jason pulled his strength but that doesn’t mean much. He doesn't say anything as the engine roars and his new siblings drive away.

Neil offers him a hand before Jason can muster the energy to stand. "Don't make this a habit, Jason. We're a respectable family, this is a small town."

"I got it," Jason wipes sweat and a small amount of blood off his face with the bottom of his shirt.

"Yes sir is the proper way to speak to me." Neil says in tone that Jason can't read. He blinks.

"Yes, sir." Jason parrots. "I'm going to shower."

"Go." Neil dismisses him but stays on his heels as Jason climbs the steps into the house. He sees Susan's face peeking from behind a wall as Neil takes a seat in the recliner.

"Billy and Maxine took a drive," he calls out to her, pausing on the threshold to the bedroom. "Do you have an extra towel? I need to shower." Jason pulls his sweaty shirt away from his body with an exaggerated frown. Susan blinks.

"Yes, of course we have towels." Her red hair shines in the light from the kitchen window, so unlike the blonde of Jason's mom. "They do that every now and again. You’ll get used to it." Susan tries to smile and Jason wishes she wouldn't.

Dinner as a family, the five of them around a too small table, is excruciatingly silent. Jason doesn’t expect anything different.

He crawls into the small bed that night, pressing his face to the pillow. Susan uses the same laundry detergent that his mom did. The pillow quickly grows damp but Jason manages to keep quiet, he thinks.

“You done?” Billy’s voice is a growl in the darkness.

“Fuck off,” Jason says without heat. He wipes at his face.

“You get the message today?” Billy asks. “You leave me and Max the hell alone. Do your time here, keep your head down and you’ll go to college like I’m sure you planned on.”

“Received, loud and clear.” Jason says. Something doesn’t seem right in what Billy said but Jason is still sniffling as quiet as he can. He’s tired and aching. His spinning thoughts are drowned out by the protest of the mattress springs as he rolls onto his back.

“Great,” Billy huffs. That’s the first night in Jason’s new home.

The next few days are a détente between them. Max watches Jason cautiously, whispers furiously to Billy until they realize he’s getting too close and they close ranks. They go for more long drives, leaving Jason to lie on his bed with his phone, his music, and stare at the woods that don’t look like Angel Grove.

Neil is a presence in the house, even when he’s not home. Susan relaxes minutely but still seems tied to the kitchen if she’s not at her own bank job as a teller. Jason gives up quickly on trying to include her in things. Billy and Max don’t bother.

He stays in touch with his team, even as it seems they move on without him thanks to the arrival of Tommy Oliver. Jason sees photos and he does his best not to be jealous of the new kid, the new leader. It would be hard to lead the Power Rangers from the Midwest, Jason tells himself. He throws himself into schoolwork instead.

Jason starts at Hawkins High not even a week after he lands in Indiana, since there’s still half of the semester left. He can tell immediately that Billy is the king of the campus, but wonders why no one calls his twin on the fact he’s just going through the motions. Maybe no one can tell like Jason can, even though they’ve been separated for longer than they’ve lived together at this point. It makes Jason uncomfortable but he’s figured enough out about the way Billy rushes through life that he doesn’t comment. He does commiserate with Trini on the phone after the first week of classes about being the new kid. She very kindly doesn’t laugh at everything he says, only most of it.

It’s another quiet night in the Hargrove household when everything changes, spring on the cusp of summer and graduation on the horizon for the senior class.

“We need to go, Billy.” Max comes to their door, phone clenched in hand. Her face is paler than normal, freckles standing out. “Dustin thinks he spotted one of those things behind his house.”

“Tell the twerp he needs glasses, he’s seeing things. They all left.”

Max crosses the room and shoves her phone in Billy’s face. “Want me to play the video with sound, too?”

“Heck no,” Billy spits back and rolls off the bed, narrowly missing Max standing in his way. “Fine, they’re back.” He heads to his closet, stripping without a care for Jason or Max in the room. 

Jason already knows to expect the scars from the school locker room but all he’s been able to gather is that Billy was some sort of town hero last summer, saving Max and her friends from an explosion at the mall. They’re still awful to look at, pink and angry looking even though they’ve healed.

Jason watches silently from his bed, math textbook forgotten and laying open on his lap, as Billy pulls on a long-sleeve shirt and then another, followed by a leather jacket that’s seen better days.

“Can’t believe we’re doing this again.” Billy mutters to himself, tying his long hair back. His voice rises with the next sentence. “Get your shit together, Max. I‘m not taking you if you’re not ready.”

Max rolls her eyes but darts out of the room. Jason can hear the slam of her dresser drawers from his bed.

“What’s going on?” Jason asks and Billy turns to him, eyes wide like he forgot he was still in the room.

“We had some animal attacks over the past year or so,” Billy says, not meeting Jason’s eyes. “Max’s friend thinks one of them came back.” He chuckles. “It’s the same idiot who tried to keep one as a pet so he would be the one to recognize them.”

Jason thinks longingly of his team, how they would approach a problem like this. But they’re all safe in Angel Grove, halfway across the country. Besides, they fight aliens and creatures from nightmares, not vicious dogs.

“Need another pair of hands?” Jason stands from the bed, careful to keep his body language open and hands loose at his sides. He’s already realized that nothing sets Billy off faster than anger, even if it’s not aimed directly at him.

Billy turns to look at him, blue eyes cool as they judge Jason’s offer.

“I shouldn’t, but I will. Fuck knows what kind of shape Harrington is in, he rolled his ankle last week during a pick up game. Put something on with long sleeves, you can borrow an axe.”

Jason blinks. An axe? For an animal attack? He repeats his thoughts out loud.

“Bringing an axe for an animal that may or may not be there seems like overkill.”

Billy gives a dry laugh as Jason pulls on his own jacket. It used to be Sam’s jacket but neither of them mention how the shoulders are a little too big.

“There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio.” Billy quotes humorlessly. “Write a note, Jay. Tell them we went to the movies or something. We’ll be back late.”

Jason gets halfway through the first sentence when Max appears back in the doorway.

Her face has regained a little color and she’s dressed in dark clothing that covers her from neck to wrist to ankle. “Lucas and the others should be there already.”

“Harrington?” Billy asks as he grabs his car keys off the nightstand. Jason stops writing and looks up.

“Bringing the bat,” Max says. “I call shotgun!” She races out to the car sitting on the street and pulls the passenger seat forward, waiting impatiently for Jason to climb in the back.

“You’re smaller than me, pipsqueak. It should be you getting back here,” Jason tells her with a grin. Max sticks her tongue out at him and slams the seat back, barely missing Jason’s kneecaps.

“Too bad, so sad.” She sing-songs to him. Billy’s laughter as he drops into the driver’s seat isn’t muffled in the least behind the hand he raises to his mouth.

Jason and Max reached a truce not unlike the one brokered with Billy, only without their fists. It took an afternoon, one where Billy stayed after school for practice, a few slammed doors and Jason promising he wasn’t going to get between the two of them over a pint of ice cream. He still doesn’t know whether to call the two of them weirdly codependent due to what happened or if it’s just how a big brother should act when their little sister is more likely to start a fist fight than call for a teacher. Maybe it’s something in the hushed whispers that call Billy a hero, but never to his face.

Whatever the cause, Billy doesn’t let Max get far from him, always one eye kept on her, Jason noticed in the first few days. Max does the same, watching quietly when Neil’s in the house and standing at attention if there’s any interaction between father and son even though her face says she’s bored or engrossed in her phone.

Jason is just glad it seems like the faded memories of his father’s fists seem like a thing of the past. He hasn’t seen any bruises on Susan so far.

Billy drives them to a one story house that’s probably from the 1960s, parking in the driveway behind a Beemer that looks like it rolled off the factory floor not that long ago.

“Fancy ride,” Jason comments as they walk past the sedan and around the side of the house.

“Harrington’s parents show their love through expensive things,” Billy rolls his eyes. “Like that makes up for not being there.”

Jason makes a noise he hopes is understanding and hangs back as Max runs ahead of them to a group of kids her own age.

“Is it back? Have you seen it again?” She asks urgently.

“Lucas, Dustin, Mike,” Billy points them out to Jason. “They’re all loud and annoying.”

“More annoying than a jackass who refuses to leave the 1980s?” Lucas shoots back with a wide grin.

“All right, stop fighting, I’m here now.” A young man Jason recognizes from around town steps out of the woods, a bat held comfortably over one shoulder. He peers closer and realizes there are nails hammered into the end.

“Billy,” the man greets him warmly. He does a double take. “And Hargrove?”

“Little brother,” Billy explains, throwing an arm around Jason. “Steve, this is Jason.”

“You don’t know that you’re older! Stop telling people that!” Jason flings Billy’s arm off of him as soon as it lands, barely stops himself from rolling it into an attack and putting his twin on the ground. And it’s true, the family only thinks that Billy is the elder - their mom had always refused to say one way or the other and Neil had only arrived at the hospital after they were born. Now she’s gone, secret buried with her like so much else.

“I’m sorry, Max. Now there’s two of them.” Steve seems sympathetic. Max shrugs.

“He’s not so bad. You better not get mixed up.”

“No chance of that, I like mine too much.” Steve laughs and Billy’s grin softens as they overhear his words. Jason bites his lip to keep from blurting out he didn’t know his twin brother had a boyfriend. Their kiss looks more real than anything he’s seen between Neil and Susan.

“Now that we’ve done all the introductions,” the one who Jason thinks is called Dustin claps his hands to split the two apart. “We can get to kicking some demodog ass!”

“Demodog? He named his pet?” Jason whispers to Billy as they walk through the woods, bringing up the rear of the group. Billy carries two axes, one through his belt and the other over his shoulder. He had batted Jason’s hands away when he tried to carry one.

“Nah, he named it Dart. The word demodog is for the species. Some sort of nerd thing,” Billy explains, head turning constantly to scan the trees around them.

“Found some slime,” Mike announces with a grimace. It shines wetly in the light from his cell phone. “It was here.”

“I told you!” Dustin cries out. “Why did you even come if you didn’t believe me?” He sounds hurt and maybe a little confused. Jason is reminded of Billy and their first interactions.

“Maybe they just needed to see it for themselves.” Jason says gently. “You guys like science, right? All about hypotheses and proving things. So it’s not that Mike didn’t believe you, he just needed to see it with his own eyes too.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Mike says. “I guess you got all the brains in the family.”

“I can take my axes and go home, Wheeler.” Billy reminds him, hefting the weapon to his other shoulder.

“No, you’re staying.” Steve says. His hand twitches like he wants to reach out but doesn’t make contact with Jason’s brother, not even a brush of their hands. “And while you were busy talking, Max and Lucas found an entrance to the Upside Down.”

Jason watches in fascination and horror as one by one, they pull out various pieces of fabric to tie around their mouth and nose like it’s something practiced. Then they cover their eyes. Billy presses something red into his hand along with a pair of swim goggles.

“Put these on, we don’t know what breathing that stuff in does to you.”

Jason thinks about his Red Ranger armor. He hears Zordon’s rules in his head: _not for personal gain, don’t escalate a fight until forced, and don’t give away your identity._ He ties the bandana on and follows his twin into the tree.

“Are we here to wreck shit, or kill some demodogs?” Billy asks Steve. He hands Jason the axe from his belt.

“Wrecking things might get their attention,” Steve says with a shrug.

“But what if there’s another demogorgon in here?” Mike points out. Jason doesn’t even know what that is but he knows it’s bad. “We don’t have El, and we’re on their turf.”

“No,” Billy corrects and he looks pained. “They’re on mine.” He passes the axe to Lucas and kneels on the ground. He sinks thick fingers into the rotting soil and dark roots, closing his eyes.

Everyone is silent for a long moment and Billy huffs out a breath as he opens his eyes again.

“Did it work?”

“I don’t know,” Steve says cautiously. “What were you trying to do?”

“Get their attention.” Billy stands and wobbles in place. Jason gets an arm around him, keeping him upright. “They’re coming. Only two right now, at ten and eleven o’clock. There were others, farther out.”

Jason can hear something running through the woods in this weird place where the air has spores and everything is cold and dark.

They burst through the trees and underbrush, taller than his waist. Jason’s mouth drops open in shock at the look of them, four large paws and a sort of tulip-shaped head. He feels the same way he did when the Rangers discovered the ship and didn’t realize Alpha-5 was a friend. He doesn’t think he’ll get so lucky this time around when one of the creatures cocks its head.

“At least no one needed to bleed this time,” Steve says grimly. He pulls his arms back and swings at the creature on the right. The bat makes a sucking sound as it’s pulled free from grey flesh. The one on the left backs up a few steps and then opens its mouth.

Jason sees the rows of teeth and recoils before he realizes Mike and Max are closer to it than he is. Their lighter and crowbar won’t do much against the creature.

It’s instinct to call up his armor, damn the consequences and he darts in between them. Jason lets his forearm take the brunt of the many teeth as he pushes the two younger teenagers back to the rest of the group. The armor holds up and he spares a half second to be relieved.

One, two punches with his free hand and the demodog is dazed enough to let go. Steve’s bat comes down on its flower head and then the fight’s over. Jason retracts his face plate, wary of the reaction.

“What the hell are you?” Dustin is the first to ask.

“We are so talking about this when we get home, Jason.” Max tells him, eyes glinting in challenge. He nods and morphs back into his clothes.

“I never showed you guys that,” Jason says, looking each one of them in the eye. “I’m serious. I will get in huge amounts of trouble.”

“Dude,” Mike says. “We’re standing in an alternate dimension and you just helped kill a demodog. As long as you’re not going to be possessed and try to kill us,” Lucas coughs and Max punches his arm, arm pulled back to deliver a second hit until Billy sets a hand on the back of her neck. “Right. We’re cool. You were never here either, unless you want to sign a bunch of forms until your hand practically falls off.”

“Thanks, for saving us.” Mike shrugs. He doesn’t quite duck away from the gentle slap Steve aims at the back of his head. Jason sees the outline of a puzzle forming but doesn’t have enough pieces for the full picture.

“Four more headed our way,” Billy announces as Steve props his bat on his shoulder, wrapping an arm around Billy’s waist. “Opposite direction and coming fast.” Jason takes a hard look at his brother as Steve leans the both of them against a tree that looks like it got struck by lightning. His twin looks exhausted and reaches up a trembling hand to wipe away the beginning of a bloody nose.

“I can take two,” Jason tells the group. “I’m stronger than all of you.” He morphs into his armor as they hash out how to handle the other two without Billy swinging an axe.

The demodogs, slightly smaller than the first two, descend like wolves. Jason doesn’t pull his punches and aims for the flower face then the belly, hoping it’s soft. It’s not, but it feels good to get his aggression out. Everything in Hawkins had been off kilter since his arrival and now Jason knows why. The first demodog crumbles to the ground and he turns his attention to the second one as it snaps and snarls at his torso.

Jason idly wonders how far the government coverup extends. He knows they came to Angel Grove like flies on shit only hours after the Rangers had disbanded the megazord to fight off Rita and Goldar. There had been no trace on the internet within a day of the battle, despite all of their searching and all the cell phones they saw.

Jason manages to twist the neck of the second demodog and gets a chance to look at the others’ progress. Dustin, it looks like, has made a makeshift flamethrower from Max’s lighter and a spray bottle of something. He and Lucas are downright gleeful as the trees catch fire, demodog carcass at their feet.

Steve’s already dispatched the fourth one and is checking on Billy as he lists to the side, sweating.

Jason runs over. “The hell’s wrong with him?”

“I’m right here,” Billy grunts, flicks Jason’s arm. “Too hot.”

“Oh shit,” Mike breathes. “You’re like Will.” He spins on his heel and screams at Dustin and Lucas to stop setting everything in sight on fire.

“If you burned the trees, how are we supposed to find the one to get out of here?” Max asks caustically. “I thought you were supposed to be smart, Sinclair.”

Jason, Billy, and Steve give near identical chuckles, coughing when Max turns her glare on them.

“Well?” Max throws her hands up. “Are we waiting around for more of them to come at us, or can we go home?”

“There’s nothing else,” Billy says, voice quiet. He’s listing heavily on Steve now, eyes half-closed. “Hoorah.”

The boys cheer but Steve looks worried as he cups Billy’s cheek. “Hey, c’mon stay with me. We still gotta get out of here, pal. You’re the only one who can find that damned tree.”

Billy rouses and stumbles forward, Steve’s hand trailing from his shoulder down his arm to link their hands. Max hovers on the other side of Billy and Jason guards their rear just in case.

They crawl back through the tree, Jason squeezing through the red tinged goo and keeping his armor on until he’s on the other side. The windows of Dustin’s house can be seen through the trees about a half mile away, Jason thinks.

Back in the real world, Billy clearly finds a second wave of energy but stays close to Steve as they walk through the forest. It doesn’t stop Max from pickpocketing his car keys and passing them off to Jason with a grim smile and wink. Jason winks back and slides in the driver’s seat as Billy says goodbye to Steve with some tongue.

Jason is tempted to honk the horn but doesn’t get a chance because Max leans over from the backseat and does it for him.

“If we went to a movie, we should be getting home by now!” She calls out the open window with a roll of her eyes.

“I don’t know how we’re going to explain the clothes,” she says to Jason. Max plucks her shirt away from her skin with two fingers and a scowl. Jason is the only one, thanks to his armor, who managed to crawl between worlds and doesn’t look like he went rolling around in the dirt and muck.

“Don’t worry,” Billy says as he gets into the passenger seat with a sigh. Steve shuts the door as soon as his boots are in the passenger footwell and thumps the top of the car. “I’ll do the talking. You left a note, right?”

“It’s on my bed,” Jason hedges as he pulls away from the curb. “I got like, a sentence into it when Max said we had to go and then we were rushing out the door.”

Billy thumps his head against the seat before he turns to Max. “You, go straight to your room. Do not leave your room once you’re there.”

“Billy, that’s not fair.” Max protests quietly, already resigned.

“Life isn’t fair, Max. Thought you’d learned that by now.” They give Jason near identical glares when he snorts.

The Camaro turns onto Cherry Lane.

“What about his - whatever - that happened?” Max jerks a thumb at Jason as the car comes to a stop in front of the house.

“I’ll give you answers tomorrow, I promise.” Jason says, looking at her in the rearview mirror. “Let’s just get to bed for now. I think we’re all exhausted.”

Max gives a jaw-cracking yawn as he finishes speaking and proves his point. They climb out of the car, Jason leading the way up the front yard to the door. The porch light isn’t on but the living room is.

“Go to your room, Max,” Billy reminds her and shoulders his way past Jason before he can step into the house.

“Where were you?” Susan asks, hands clasped together and eyes wide. Neil looks the three of them over from his armchair, putting a bottle down on the coffee table before he stands.

“Went to a movie,” Billy says. “Max’s friends wanted to see something with the new superhero chick.”

“I wrote-” Jason’s contribution to the conversation is ended when Billy’s foot connects with his shin. Susan has already taken hold of Max’s arm, pulling her towards her bedroom. The door shuts behind them and Neil crosses the room as Billy stiffens.

“Were you drinking with your sister in the car?” He glares at Billy, spares a passing glance for Jason.

“No sir.” Billy says. “Jason drove us home, too.”

“Glad you showed some sense.” Neil’s hands come up and Jason is too slow to intervene.

Billy is shoved into the wall, a quiet hissed breath all the response he gives as he stumbles backward.

“Next time, leave a note. Your mother was worried sick.”

“She’s not my mother.” Billy says firmly. Jason catches his father’s arm mid-swing.

“Susan is a nice woman,” Jason says earnestly to their father as he puts his body between his twin and their father. “She’s nice but she’s not our mom. Don’t hit him for speaking the truth.”

Jason turns his face into the oncoming slap, hopes it will hurt less that way. He isn’t sure if it does but it’s better than it being Billy, who performed some sort of mind-meld with that alternate dimension, taking another hit.

“We’ll discuss this later, Jason.” Their father warns and points a stern finger to their bedroom door. “Get to bed, both of you.”

As soon as the door is shut behind them, Billy turns a vicious glare on Jason.

“What happened to letting me do all the talking?” His voice is quiet, anger in every word. They both start stripping off sweat-soaked clothes, leaving them at the foot of their beds for later. They don’t look at each other.

Jason flops onto his bed once he’s pulled a pair of sweatpants on, rubbing a hand down his face. His cheek is warm but he thinks it will be fine by morning. He hopes it will be.

“You did some freaky shit with your brain earlier, Billy. Excuse me for trying to look out for you!”

“I don’t need your help!” Billy throws himself down on his bed, uncaring that he’s only in boxers.

“Fine! When you want someone to cover for you when you have a date, don’t come looking for me!” Jason spits back even though he knows he won’t turn Billy away if he asks. He has a feeling Billy knows it too. Their anger runs hot and burns out fast.

It’s silent between them until Billy groans face first into his pillow. He waves off Jason’s questioning noise with a thumb’s up.

“I’m fine, just really fucking tired. Felt like my brain was going to leak out my ears, then I was way too warm when those idiots started setting shit on fire.”

Billy’s phone lights up with a notification and his face softens.

“Text?”

“Even better,” Billy licks his lips and holds his phone above his body. “I got a picture.”

Jason gags and turns toward the wall so he doesn’t have to watch his brother trade almost nudes with his boyfriend. “Just go to sleep. I’m sure you’ll see him tomorrow, it’s a small town.”

Billy’s fingers are already tapping at the screen. “Yeah, we’ll do breakfast at the diner off Main. Just the four of us, because you owe some explanations, Jay.”

“I know,” Jason sighs and picks up his own phone. He broke one of Zordan’s rules tonight and he should tell his team. If they’re still a team. Maybe he has a new team here in Hawkins, even if he’s the only Ranger. He sets his phone down on his nightstand and shuts his eyes.

It’s a problem for tomorrow. Everything will look better in the morning, Jason tells himself. If not, then it’s a goal to work towards.


End file.
